Automatic grain feeder



Oct'. l, 17927."-

ls. P.. SPAIN AUTOMATIC GRAIN FEEDER Filed Oct. 14, 1926 Patented Oct. 1l, 1927.

UNITED STATES SYLVESTER '.P. SPAIN, OF ROCHESTER, YORK.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN FEEDER.

Application filed October 14, 1926. Serial No. 141,598.

The object of this invention is to provide a new and iniproved automatic grain feeder for feeding fowls, etc.

Another object of the invention is to cause 5 the grain to be fed automatically at a prel source over a large area so that the grain will thereby be made accessible to a large number of fowls at the same time. This and other objects of the invention will be illustrated in the drawings, described in the specification and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved apparatus.

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view of the air control valve.

Figure 3 is a. modification of the automatic feeding device.

Figure 4 is another modified form of the automatic feeding device.

In the drawings like reference numerals indicate like parts.

Reference numeral 1 indicates a pan or tray into which the grain is discharged and from which it is distributed. This pan is supported on an arm 2 which is pivoted on a. bearing 3 to the bracket 4 provided on the upright 5. Above the pan 1 is provided a hopper 6 in which the grain is stored. This hopper has a conical bottom 'T with an opening in the lower end of it through which the grain is discharged onto the pan 1. The pan l is normally held up so as to practically close this opening` and prevent the flow of grain from the hopper.

On the upright is provided a` bracket 8 on which is provided a clockwork mechanism 9, which by an extra spring and suitable gearing drives a shaft 10 on which is placed a cam 11. The clock work `and eXtra spring are wound up in any desired way similar to that used in an alarm clock. The shaft 10 and cam 11 are directly driven by the eXtra spring similar to that used for driving .the alarm mechanism of the alarm clock as referred to above. In this mechanism a suitable trip is used whichis operated by the clock mechanism at any predetermined time to release the eXtra spring which in turn causes the shaft and cam to turn for the purpose that will presently be described. The details of the clock are similar to those found in ordinary alarm clocks, and constitute no part of my invention. The invention consists to some extent in the application of the alarm clock to the special mechanism which I have made.

The cam 11 engages with a lug 12 which is made integral with the panl 1.l The high part of the cam normally stands under this lug, and holds the pan in elevated position to close the opening of the bottom of the hopper and prevent the feed of the grain. At the predetermined time, the clock mechanism releases the spring that drives the shaft 10 and causes the cam 11 to rotate. This permits the lug 12 and pan 1 to drop down uncovering the opening in the bottom of the hopper and this permits the grain to flow into thepan. The lower end of the arm 2 engages with valve 13 in the pipe 14. The pipe 14 communicates with the storage tank 15 in which air is held under pressure. The air flows from this. tank up through the pipe 14 to the nozzle 16 by which a blast of air is directed into the pan 1. The pipe 14 is normally closed by the valve 13. When the pan l drops because of its own weight, or because of the added weight of the grain the lower end of the arm 2 moves the valve 13 and permits air to flow up through the pipe 14 and down through the nozzle 16. This air blast blows the grain out of the pan and scatters it over a wide area as indicated by dotted lines. The shaft 10 continues to revolve driven by the clock work and at the end of a predetermined time, the cam 11 again lifts the pan 1 which in turn shuts off the flow of grain from the hopper and the arm 2 swings away from the valve 13 permitting a spring in the valve to close the valve and cut off the further flow of air. In Figure 3 I have shown a modiication of my feed in which the pan 1 is mounted on a stem 2O which slides in a socket 21 in a bracket 22. The clock 9 is supported below the pan and is provided with a cam 23 that turns on a center 24 and engages a roller 25 on the bottom of the stem 20. As t-he cam turns the pan is pulled down to the full line position shown in Figure 3, and as the cam continues to turn the pan is released so that the spring 26 raises it to the dotted line position. The stem .2O is provided with a cam 27 which engages with a pin 28 by which the valve 13 is opened for theair blast, when the pan is drawn down. lVhen the pan l lifts again, the valve is released so that the spring in the valve can close the valve.

The details of the valve are shown in section in Fig. 2.

In Fig. Ll I have shown a further modification in which the pan is held stationary and in which the clock and cam are used to move an air valve at a predetermined time. In this case the grain is free to feed to the pan until the grain has piled up on the pan sufficient to stop the feeding. Thereafter at a predetermined time the Clock will operate to open the air valve and blow the grainoff of the pan, and as fast as the grain is removed from the pan other grain will flow from the hopper to talre its place, and this operation will continue until the cloclr isoperated to shut olf the air. blast, when the accumulation of grain on the pan will stop the feed.

I claim:

l. A poultry feeding device comprising a hopper, a concaved pan'under the hopper on which the hopper is adapted to feed grain by gravity, means for blowing air into the concaved pan from aboveto blow the grain deposited therein to the front and sides of said hopper and distribute it over a large area.

9.. A poultry feeding device comprising a hopper,'a concaved pan under the hopper on which the hopper is adapted to feed grain by gravity, means for blowing air into the concaved pan from above to blow the grain deposited therein to the front and sides or said hopper and distribute it over a large area; a cam for simultaneously lowering the pan and releasing` the air blowing means.

3p. A time feed distributing apparatus comprising a feed container supported in an elevated posit-ion and having an opening in the bottom, a concaved pan mounted below the opening of said container, a downwardly projecting nozzle projecting into said concaved pan and means for blowing air thru said nozzle into said concaved pan to spread the feed deposited in said pan from said container over a wide area in front and the sides of said container.

a. A time feed distributing apparatus comprising a feed container supported in an elevated position and having an opening in the bottom, a concaved pan located below the open bottom of said container, means for raising and lowering said concaved pan a predetermined distance to open and close the open bottoni of said container, a stationary nozzle above said concaved pan and behind the opening in the bottom of said container and means for blowing air thru said nozzle against the bottom of said ooncaved pan to blow grain deposited in said pan from said container and directing it up wardly thru curved sides of the pan to distribute the grain over a large area at the front and sides of the nozzle and the container.

5. A time feed distributing apparatus comprising a feed container supported in an elevated position and having an opening in the bottom thereof, a concaved pan mounted below said container, means for moving said pan in a vertical plane to alternately open and close the opening in the bottom of said container, means for supporting said concaved pan a predetermined distance from the open bottom of said container, to allow a predetermined amount of grain to drop into said concaved pan, a nozzle located behind the bot-tom of said container andvpro jeoting angularly toward the bottom of said concaved pan, and means for controlling an,

air blast thru said nozzle into said pan on the movement of said pan.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

SYLVESTER P. SPAIN. 

